Journey of the Aviator Hat

Now that this aviator hat has gone on its own cross-country journey, I can finally write about it. Knit for a brand-new baby boy, it was an easy knit that came out adorable. The hardest part was picking just the right buttons. My only mod was to tack down the corner edges of the front flap so it didn’t stick out due to sturdy button stitching. Thanks to the multiple sizes, all the way up to an adult small, I’m sure I’ll be making many more for both boys and girls.

It wasn’t until the hat was in front of the camera that I noticed something. The hat was staring back at me. Now I can’t un-see that face with it’s stubby legs and bulky body. What does it want? Cuddles, I hope, and maybe cookies. When I picked out this pattern, I never noticed the face. It was just a cute hat. To be fair, it’s still a cute hat and not all of the finished projects on Ravelry look like silly creatures. I’m glad this one does though.

The Specs:

Pattern: The Journey of the Aviator by Gabrielle Danskknit

Yarn: Rowan Pure Wool Worsted - Electric (143)

Needles: US 7 & 6

Dates: July 17 - August, 2014

@Ravelry

World Wide Knit in Public Day 2014

The week of World Wide Knit In Public Day started on Saturday and I’ve hardly knit a stitch anywhere. That row and half knit on a sock while I was waiting for water to boil Sunday night barely counts. No worries though. The festivities are going on until June 22 and I’m making the effort to get out with my sock knitting everyday this week. Pretty sure I’m going to end up on the beach most days which is perfectly fine with me. Plus, I’ll be that much closer to a new pair of socks. 

Over at the World Wide Knit in Public Day site, you can search for meet-ups in your area if you don’t want to stitch alone. If the meet-ups have passed or there are none nearby, get out and knit anyway. Take your knitting to lunch, out for coffee, or to the park. Spread the love. I’ll be on the beach. 

Garterlac Dishcloths

Fairly sure that I’ve fallen down the Entrelac rabbit hole. The day started innocently enough when I went looking for pattern that would look great with variegated yarn. My first choice, Grandma’s Favorite, pooled catastrophically. My second choice, the Garterlac Dishcloth, seemed like it was made for variegated yarn. The pattern had been in the queue for years. Why not not try it? Little did I know that I was standing on the edge.

Casting on was simple. As were the crumpled looking edge triangles. Then I knit a square and then another and another. In no time at all, I was working the bind off triangles and weaving in ends. Picking up stitches be damned, knitting entrelac was fun! I was officially falling down the rabbit hole and it was awesome.

I was so tempted to keep these for myself but into a box and off they went to their new home. Going to be knitting a lot more cloths so I’m sharing the entrelac love. After all, it’s a perfect use for my giant stash of kitchen cotton. 

If you’ve never tried Entrelac knitting before, this pattern is a good place to get your toes wet. It’s well written and easy to understand. The cloth is small and quick so you’re not investing a lot of time trying a new technique; however, it’s still large enough to know if you enjoy working Entrelac. Doesn’t take much yarn either - less than 60 yards, about 30 grams, of worsted weight cotton. Plus, the cloth looks very impressive and much harder to make than it actually is. If you can knit, pick up stitches, and work kfb and k2tog, you have everything you need to get started.

The Specs:

Pattern: The Garterlac Dishcloth from Criminy Jickets

Yarn: Knit Picks Dishie Multi - Nettle

Needles: US 6 (4mm)

Dates: May 6 - 9, 2014

@Ravelry 

Aspiring Teenage Mutant

Was in the mood for a little yarn shopping last week and ended up at the beautiful Twist Yarns in Manhattan Beach. After perusing and petting everything that caught my eye, I walked out with 2 skeins of Twist Fluff, hand dyed by the shop’s owner, Cathy Karen. There was some vague idea in my head about knitting them into a slouchy hat and a matching pair of mitts. Whether it would be a pattern of my own or someone else’s, I hadn’t gotten that far.

While catching up on  Dull Roar, I saw the I Was A Teenage Mutant Hat from Apocalypse Knits. The pattern was and still is one of my favorites from when I first looked through the book but I’d forgotten about it. Though I somehow managed to buy the perfect yarn for it. Cast on last night and it’s rather relaxing to just knit something that someone else has already put the work into designing.  Sometimes the thought gets into my head that I have to design and write up everything that I knit. As enjoyable as it is, the process gets tiring after awhile. Plus, let’s not forget that other designers are constantly coming up with amazing patterns that I want to make and wear. I’m not doing myself any favors my fencing myself in to my own patterns and thoughts. It’s important to get an idea of how other people think about yarn and fiber too. The only thing to do is give myself permission to work from other patterns and give myself the opportunity to be inspired and learn new tricks.

Speaking of inspired, the ‘Teenage Mutant Hat’ pretty simple, which makes it a relaxing knit, but has a great twist at the end. There’s no crown shaping because the hat to closed off with some strategic kitchener stitch. I can’t wait.

So far the yarn, Twist Fluff, is lovely and held up to frogging like a champ. The first attempt was too big. Whomp whomp. Anyway, the yarn soft and cushy but still seems durable and sturdy. The color, no idea what it’s called, reminds me of a rocky beach and is knitting up wonderfully in garter stitch. Should be equally lovely in stockinette. 

Simple Socks

After the complexity of the Shur’tugal Socks, a simple pair of socks seemed like just the thing for purse knitting. The pattern shouldn’t take a year to knit not should it get left behind for something less complicated. Before it got too big, the Amiga Sweater and all of its stockinette was fine purse knitting but it’s time to get back to socks. 

I spent way too much time trying to find the perfect simple but not boring pattern before picking the Business Casual Socks. The pattern seemed easy enough to mod for toe-up knitting and into knee highs. Unfortunately, the tiny cables kept getting lost in the different colors. Next I tried variations of ribbing but nothing lived up to my expectations. Eventually, I stopped fighting the simplicity and went with the plain jane stockinette that looked so awesome in the toe. The colors are wild and interesting enough to keep me from getting too bored. Plus, stockinette socks are great tv knitting since you don’t have to look at them when you’re not turning a heel or increasing a gusset. 

It’s not just the colors that are making these socks such a pleasure to knit. The yarn, Koigu KPPM, has great bounce and softness. I don’t have to use my smallest size 0 needles to get a nice, squishy fabric either. If this pair goes well, my stash is going to have a lot more Koigu in it. 

Frisson Shawl

When I first saw the Frisson pattern, I was instantly smitten. I liked the shape and the size and the points. I liked the combination of garter stitch and eyelet wedges. It looked like an easy knit that wouldn’t be too boring, what the Knitmore Girls would call ‘autopilot knitting’. To the top of the queue it went and, when I decided to knit a shawl for a friend’s birthday gift, Frisson beat out all the other options.

The knitting was definitely easy since the pattern was well written and easy to follow. Addicting too because the points just seemed to show up on my needles when I wasn’t looking. I’d knit one point and just have to knit another. Eventually, the rows got long enough that I couldn’t knit a whole point in one sitting but it was still really fun. If I hadn’t dropped a knee on my circular needle and snapped it at the join, I would have finished the shawl a lot sooner. Lesson learned though. Don’t leave knitting needles on the bed. 

Even after knitting one as a gift, I still want to make a second one for myself which is the sign of a great pattern. Have the yarn picked out and everything.

Another reason this shawl was such a great yarn to knit was the yarn. Twist Heavenly, a blend of superwash merino, cashmere, and nylon, is a local yarn hand dyed in Manhattan Beach at The Twist Yarn Shop. The yarn is wonderfully soft and has great drape. The colors are beautiful and knit up well too. Even with the long rows of garter stitch, there was no flashing and the colors barely pooled. One skein of Heavenly wasn’t enough to knit the full shawl but, with 12 points, this Frisson is still a perfect size to wear as a scarf.

The Specs: 

Pattern: Frisson Shawl by Brittany Wilson

Yarn: Twist Yarns Heavenly - Geode 

Needle: US 5 (3.75 mm) Circular

Date: February 23 - March 31, 2014

@Ravelry

Shur'Tugal Socks

I sometimes forget how hard it is to take attractive photographs of one’s own feet only to be reminded whenever I try to document a new pair of socks. I’ve tried several times to get good photos of this pair but they never came out. Either my feet looked like amorphous blobs or my legs took up have the shot or the lighting was terrible or… You get the point. Yesterday, the marine layer filled the sky and the diffused light was perfect for taking photos. So, I took one last attempt and, 5 months after binding off, the Shur’tugal Socks finally get their spot in the limelight.

I love the pattern and I love the yarn, Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock, but these socks were not a fast knit. At the cast on I wanted a slightly more interesting sock than plain ribbing but Shur’tugal turned out to be more complicated than I wanted for purse knitting. So they languished and spent more time in the bag than they did being knit. They languished even longer when I had to rip out an entire gusset because it started too late. The motivation to finish didn’t hit until a big trip was right around the corner and I really didn’t bringing these unfinished socks cross-country again. I finished them one repeat at a time and finally cast off a few days before getting on a plane.

Of course, there were mods. The biggest was working the socks toe-up though I didn’t bother to flip the charts. No point with this particular stitch pattern. It looks good going up or down. The secret bonus of working these socks from the toe was that it let me test out the stitch pattern. It was stretchy enough for my foot but didn’t have enough give to go completely around and up my leg. I worked a few repeats right after the heel before switching to 2x2 ribbing up the back. No way I’d be able to get those socks on without that ribbing. Plus, it was much easier than figuring how to add an extra repeat in pattern. 

The Specs

Pattern: Shur’tugal Socks by Alice Yu

Yarn: Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock - Lettuce Wrap

Needles: 2.25 mm Circulars

Dates: Jan 31, 2013 - December 9, 2013

@Ravelry

I haven’t had much of a chance to wear them because, most of the time, LA isn’t cold enough for wool socks. Looking forward to living in a different city where knitted goodness can become a regular part of my wardrobe again. 

Peppercorn Bracelet the Second

On the same day I wrote about the first Peppercorn Bracelet, my mom sent me an email asking me to make one for her too. My Mom’s absolutely awesome so she went to the top of the list. When I was out and about searching for yarn, I found the perfect bronze-colored glass beads in a yarn shop. A good trip.

This Peppercorn Bracelet worked up even faster than the first. Using the recommended number of beads will do that. The second reason was because I switched to a crochet hook instead of using double pointed needles. Working fine hemp cord with the DPN’s was hard on the fingers. The needles poked holes in my skin and left my finger tips sore. Using a crochet hook made the whole process pain free and wonderfully fast. I was able to finish the whole bracelet in an afternoon instead of having to space the work out over several days. 

After making two of these, especially from hemp, I can tell you that there is one step that absolutely can not be skipped - blocking. When the bracelet is fresh off the needles or the hook, it’s going to twist and curl up on itself. It won’t lay or hang well and it certainly won’t look its best. The one minute it takes to block the piece is well worth it. Put the bracelet under water just long enough to get it wet. Tug the ends a few times to straighten it out and hang the bracelet up to dry. That’s it.

The Specs

Pattern: Peppercorn Bracelet by Kourtney Robinson

Yarn: Fine Hemp Cord

Beads: Mill Hill size 6/0 seed beads, 16606

Hook: 2.75 MM

Checking In

Way back in January, which isn’t as far away as it seems, I shared my pattern design goals for 2014.  The last day of March seemed like as good a time as any to check in, take stock, and stay accountable.

I only had one major goal, to design and release 1 pattern every 2 months. We’re 3 months into 2014 and I haven’t released a single knitting pattern. Good thing I didn’t push myself to release a pattern a month or I’d be really dejected right now. The thing is, I’ve been putting in the work. The first pattern I worked on this year is finished aside from the final necessary steps - the layout, proofreading, editing, and photography stuff. Still a lot of work to be done but those tiny little balls of yarn are proof that the knitting is finished. The pattern itself won’t be released until Summer is on it’s way out. Maybe I can come up with a name by then. Why does coming up with a good name have to be so hard?  

The second pattern of the year was a set of kitchen towels and washcloths that I submitted to Holla Knits. These towels were the first pattern that I’ve ever submitted for publication by someone else. Submitting a design was a goal I’ve had for a long time and a hidden goal for this year. Dropping the swatches in the mail box was exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. The set wasn’t accepted but it’ll be showing up here just as soon as I finish the samples and put the finishing touches on the pattern. Just might be my first release of the year. 

As for other patterns, I’ve been sketching and taking notes as soon as the ideas popped into my head. A few skeins of my recent handspun have been brilliant inspiration. I’ve even resurrected a few older patterns from my notes and WIP bin. Some of them I’m ripping out because they’re just not as exciting or likable since the novelty wore off. Still others have reclaimed some brain space so I can get back to puzzling out the details. The next few months are going to be busy with pattern knitting and writing. Plenty of ripping too. I’m sure of that. 

Even after 3 months, I still feel like I’m just getting started but at least I’ve got some momentum. There have been more small successes behind the scenes to keep me going then there have been disappointments to hold me back. When I was feeling complacent and lazy, this interview with Alex Tinsley over on the Loopy Ewe blog was a swift kick in the pants. I’ve read it several times and I’m sure I’ll be coming back to it when I would rather be be a giant, lazy lump. Until then, there’s no time like the present to get serious and get things done. So, I’m sticking with my original goal of releasing 1 pattern every 2 months. It’s not going to be easy or quick but it’s worth the effort. 

Peppercorn Bracelet

In a perfect world, I’d be writing about how I cast on for the Peppercorn Bracelet as soon as the beads and the cord were in hand. The pattern photos are lovely. All the projects on Ravelry are very complimentary. However, I strung the beads in January and then the whole thing sat on a shelf until I was infected by sudden fit of reorganization. Finally knitting the bracelet seemed like a much better idea than stuffing it into a bag and forgetting about it for another month or two. Glad I did.

Over the next few days, I knit on it at least 5 beads at a time. The hemp cord I subbed in for yarn was a bit hard on the hands and not just because it lacked any stretch. I was poking holes in my fingers trying to get one stitch over the other. The finished bracelet is definitely worth the effort though because I love wearing it. It’s dangly and the hemp cord has a nice drape. Even better, the bracelet’s extra long since I used every bead I had. Why let the extras take up space on that shelf I was trying to  reorganize? Made the end ties longer too so it sits at the perfect spot on my wrist. 

I like wearing this bracelet so much that I’m definitely going to make more as gifts. They don’t take much cord/yarn, I get to play with pretty beads, and my friends get a nice bracelet. Everyone wins. 

The Specs

Pattern: Peppercorn Bracelet by Kourtney Robinson

Yarn: fine hemp cord

Beads: Toho Seed Beads 6/0

Needles: 2.5 mm DPN’s

To The Frog Pond

All I wanted was my favorite knitting bag. The pretty one with the pockets, snaps, needle loops, and enough space for all the yarn. So, I dug it out and, when I opened it up, found a forgotten project, the Bilateral Cardigan. It’s my only serious attempt at knitting a sweater because the pattern seemed easy and forgiving in fit. Instead of casting on at the neck, you knit two hexagons, creatively sew them together, and end up with a short-sleeved, cropped cardi. This explains why the one piece, which is way too big, looks more like a blanket then a sweater.

It’s been 2 years, almost to the day, from when I cast on and I don’t want to wear the finished object anymore. I’m still very much in love with the yarn, Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, though. Yesterday, I happily ripped out every single yarn and wound the yarn. Then I went to Ravelry to find a pattern for a cropped, light weight cardigan. An old favorite from my queue, Amiga, jumped to the top of my list. Don’t tell anyone but I may have already started swatching.

Breaking for a Bracelet

I’m a big fan of taking a break when necessary. Complicated problems, finicky questions, and pesky knitting designs can be hard to solve in one sitting. Instead of beating my head against the same spot on the wall, I go for a walk, play a game, and do my best to simply ignore the damn thing for awhile. It’s better to come back with a fresh mind and make time for the flash of inspiration to strike. 

The current pesky problem? My latest work-in-progress design. Things were doing so well too. My swatches were truthful and I had enough yarn; the only thing left to do was cast on. Several thousand stitches later, a tiny detail about knitting in the round threw the whole project for a loop. The only thing to do, besides from rip it all out, was to do something else. 

Enter the Peppercorn Bracelet by Kourtney Robinson. I picked up the supplies for it last month and last weekend seemed like the perfect time to get started. My only mod is to use fine hemp cord instead of yarn. By the way, collapsable eye needles for stringing beads are definitely worth the money.

The weekend away and a little mindless knitting seems to have done the trick. I have an easy, wonderful solution and the pattern is back on track. Still have to rip out the first attempt though. Send reinforcements. 

Christmas Knits

Before it’s definitely old news, I did knit a few things for Christmas. I didn’t feel any obligation to knit for everyone on my list so there were no crazy deadlines to stress over. The projects were small, simple, and only took a few hours of dedicated work. I hope I remember this lesson for 2014’s holiday season. 

The first projects off my needles were a set of kitchen towels for a friend who recently bought a house. I used one ball of Knit Picks Dishie, US 6 needles, and two of my own patterns: the Laddered Cloths and the Bridges Kitchen Towel. 

The Cornered Slouch Hat, a pattern I released last December, was also a Christmas gift and I was incredibly tempted to keep it for myself. 

Then, there were stockings. 

Big & Stripey here only counts as Christmas knitting because, A, it’s a stocking, and, B, I knit it during Christmas. My other travel project wasn’t working out and I wanted to just knit something. Decided I wanted to make a stocking with stripes and went from there. It was a simple thing to keep my hands busy during long car rides and low-key gatherings. I’ll block it eventually. Probably, right before it’s time to hang it up 11 months from now. 

The tiny one continues my tradition of knitting a new ornament every year. I couldn’t resist putting a palm tree down the leg since the Bearded One and I have been surrounded by the things since we moved.

Now, no more talk from me about Christmas knitting until it’s time to start knitting for this year. The time will arrive sooner then it should. Always does. 

Design Goals

After reading numerous “Best Of” and 2013 showcase posts, I was inspired to make up a little gallery of my 2013 patterns. Here’s what I have to show off: The Cornered Slouch Hat.

And that’s it. Just one measly pattern. I had all these ideas in my head; some of which I sketched and swatched and started knitting. Out of all of these, the only pattern that saw the light of day was this hat. Disappointing? Yes. A kick in the pants? Definitely.

So, this year I’m setting a goal. My realistic side wants to design and release 6 patterns. That’s 1 pattern every 2 months. The crazy, overachiever part of me wants to push 1 pattern a month. I’m going to aim for something in the middle and see what happens. Some of the patterns will be ones that have been lingering on my needles and some will be the ones that I just have to cast on for right that second. 

The pattern currently dancing around on my needles is definitely one that I wanted to cast on for as soon as the idea popped into my head. Unfortunately, I wasn’t even in the same state as the yarn at the time and had to wait a few days. Turned out to be a good thing since I was able to mull the project over and work out a few details. Well, as well as details can be worked before the yarn hits the needles. Now I’m one swatch in and the whole thing is still a good idea. 2014 is off to a great start. 

Pattern: Cornered Slouch Hat

A quick, simple hat pattern is a great thing to have up your sleeve whether you have a great yarn or just 2 more knitting days until Christmas. Simple cast on. Simple ribbing. Simple stockinette. Simple crown decreases. Simple finishing. Let the yarn do all the hard work. 

I designed the hat to showcase a marled orange and blue beauty of a skein. The yarn was originally a pooling mess of fingering weight that I chain plied to create a lovely, marled aran weight. You can easily use any aran yarn that’ll give you 4 stitches to the inch or ply your stashed fingering weight yarn with the help of this tutorial. 

Cornered Slouch Hat

Sometimes, all you want is a simple, slouchy hat. Knit up a fun yarn or show off some handspun. This simple pattern with squared decreases is the perfect display for your favorite yarn. 

Thanks to the stretchiness of ribbing and stockinette, this hat will fit a wide variety of noggins. 

Sizes: 21” and 23”

Yarn: 110 - 130 yds of aran weight yarn

Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) needles

Download Now

Counting Down

Just 15 days until Christmas, my dear knitting friends. I hope you're way ahead on all you're projects or at least close to being done. There's just one more thing on my very short knit list, a small ornament, and it should be finished by the weekend. I hope. 

If you're looking for a quick, last-minute gift, I recommend simple hats, mitts, washcloths, and sport weight socks.  They're great tv knitting and you can wrap them up in no time at all. 

Keep It Simple Hat

Keep It Simple Mitts

Happy Birthday! Socks

Slouchy Babe Hat

Laddered Cloths

Cthulu Rising Washcloths

Create Marled Yarn with Chain Plying

Ever fallen hard for a skein of variegated yarn? Yarn that’s beautiful in the skein, but, when knit, turns into a pooling and flashing mess. There are several ways to combat pooling yarn. You can stripe with another yarn or knit from alternate ends every 2 rows. You can change the gauge or slip stitches or do all manner of finicky things. What happens when none of that works and you’re ready to stuff into the very back of the closet?

I had about reached that point with a beautiful skein of orange and blue fingering weight yarn. The reason it didn’t end up forgotten in a closet was because my closet isn’t that big. Besides, my yarn stash is a bit too small to intentionally lose yarn. I tried tons of different tricks to get the colors not to pool but nothing really worked. I was about to move along to another project and a solid yarn when I came across Amy Christoffer’s Moxie Pullover. The sweater is knit with two different colors of yarn held together to create a lovely marled fabric. Why not ply that stubborn skein to create a marl? 

After starting a movie, I sat at my wheel and decided to chain-ply the yarn instead making a 2-ply. Didn’t want to risk the color repeats matching up in a 2-ply and creating a thicker yarn with the exact same pooling problems. Less than an hour later, I had a wonderful marled yarn that I wanted to knit with instead of intentionally misplacing. 

Short and Sweet Directions for Chain-Plying Marled Yarn

1. Figure out which way the yarn is plied. Commercial yarn is usually plied to the left, S twist, so you’ll need to chain ply to the right, Z twist. If you’re plying a single, spin to the left.

2. Wind the yarn into a center-pull ball.

3. Chain-ply. Use a wheel or a spindle, both work just fine. 

4. Once your finished plying, let the yarn rest for a day so the twist can settle into the yarn.

5. Wind the yarn into a skein.  Never mind the crazy tendrils.

6. Soak the skein in a cool water bath with wool wash or gentle soap. Rinse carefully if the yarn isn’t superwash.

7. Hang to dry.

Now the yarn is ready to be wound and knit up into marled goodness. FYI, chain plying will reduce the yardage by a third. This fingering yarn’s original 400 yards turned into about 133 yards of aran weight. So, instead of socks or a shawl, there’s enough yardage to knit a slouchy hat or a small cowl or fingerless mitts. Could even squeak out a small pair of slippers.  Bring on the marl!

Pooling Yarn and What To Do About It

It’s orange. It’s blue. It’s sock yarn and it’s been in my stash for years. I remember buying it way back when in 2009, folks. At the time, I wasn’t worried about how the colors would knit up because this yarn was going to socks. Simple socks too. Whether they were ribbed or plain stockinette, it didn’t matter if the colors pooled or flashed or did any other strange things. Skip forward 4 years to 2013 and the yarn that would be socks is going to be a shawl instead. That changes things a bit. Suddenly, how the colors knit up matters a lot. Pooling and flashing are things to be avoided at all costs. 

What exactly is pooling and flashing? Pooling is when colors clump together and knit up into big splotches, AKA pools or puddles, of color. Flashing is similar to pooling in that colors clump but will stripe and move around like a bolt of lightening in your knitting.

So, I swatched the yarn by casting on for a top down shawl just to see what the colors would do. Once I got a few rows into the pattern, there was pooling and puddling. Puddles so big you’d have to jump across them if you found them in a parking lot. Even then, you’d probably still end up in ankle deep water. So, I ripped out the shawl and started experimenting with different and easy ways to mess with the color repeats. 

The variegated yarn I’m using, Kaleidoscope, was dyed by Blue Ridge Yarns and has the very appropriate color name of ‘War Eagle’. Most of the skein is dyed with short repeats of orange and blue where each color is 3” - 4”. Then there is a long section where each color is 12” long.

THE FIRST SWATCH

The first swatch and two other swatches were knit using the pattern below. Needle size was also the same except for the third swatch.

• Cast on 40 stitches with the long tail cast on. 
• Knit 4 rows of garter.
• Knit 30 rows of stockinette.
• Knit 4 more rows of garter and bind off.

The first swatch, knit on 2.75 mm needles, was knit to establish a baseline. It’s important to know how the yarn knits up if left to its own devices. Both colors make little pools but are interrupted by the longer sections of color. Certainly doesn’t look bad but what it doesn’t work for your project? First option, stripes.

THE SECOND SWATCH

 Instead of knitting with one of the skein for the entire project, knit 2 rows with one end and 2 rows with the opposite end. If you have more than one ball of yarn, knit 2 rows with one ball and 2 rows with another ball. 

If the project is worked in the round, there’s one more option that is rather fiddly when knitting flat. Alternate the working yarn every row. You won’t have to worry about jogs or any of the other tell-tale signs of stripes since you’re working with the same colors. 

Switching the ends every 2 rows didn’t really work for this swatch since it created a textbook example of flashing; exactly what I’m trying to avoid. There is another option though.

THE THIRD SWATCH

The third way to affect color in knitting: change the gauge. This last swatch is knit the same as the first but at a much larger gauge on 4mm needles. There’s a little pooling and a flashing but neither dominates the knitting. They kind of meld together to make a more cohesive whole. 

Just be aware that changing the gauge might not always work for a project. You could get away with adding 2 extra stitches per row to a garter stitch scarf. Adding or subtracting 2 extra stitches per 4” on a sweater is a recipe for disaster. So, if you like how a yarn knits up at a certain gauge don’t try to force the yarn and an incompatible pattern together. Find a different pattern that matches your preferred gauge and make something you truly enjoy.

CONCLUSION

The easiest options for combatting pooling and flashing in knitting are alternating the yarn ends every 1 or 2 rows and changing the gauge. All yarn is different, especially hand dyed yarn, and the only way to figure out the best option is to swatch. See what happens, experiment, and have a little fun with it. Don’t think of swatching as wasted knitting time. Swatching is like meeting someone new for coffee before going on a week long camping trip with them. There are some things you just need to know first.  

Mistakes Were Made

Normally, this is where I would wax poetic about knitting with your own handspun. I’d talk about the spinning, the plying, the joy of custom yarn, the yada, yada, yada. Along with this ode would be a series of teasing photos which would show color and stitches but leave the project to the imagination. After all, I did pull the pattern from my imagination so the details have to remain hidden for the time being.  

I’d love to leave you with this photo of colorful garter stitch but it just isn’t meant to be. Instead, I’ll leave you with this pile of ripped yarn. Can’t be helped. Mistakes and ripping come hand in hand when writing knitting patterns. There is good news though. The yarn handled ripping well and I’m back to knitting it up. Might just have a finished pattern and a new shawl soon despite my mistakes. 

Handspun, Ready to Cast On

It’s only been a month and a half since I finished spinning this fractal yarn for Tour de Fleece 2013. I spent days trying to find just the right pattern that would show it off and use up every last bit of the skein. Didn’t have any luck so I decided to design a pattern just for this yarn. After weeks of knitting and ripping and knitting and ripping out stunt yarn, I finally have a pattern. Well, most of one. All the big, important details are there; now, I just have to get knitting to figure out the small, important details. 

Over the weekend, since I’m still swift-less in California, I wound the yarn over the backs of two chairs. Thankfully, I have a ball winder so it didn’t take too long to wind all 512 yards. It’s been nice to just look at the yarn in this new form and admire all the different stripes. Since this is just the second time I’ll be knitting with my own handspun, I’m relishing each step as I take it. So excited to cast on.